The present invention relates generally to a fluid force transducer and, more specifically, to a device for detecting and measuring through the use of strain gauges, the magnitude and direction of forces produced by the movement of a fluid.
Considerable interest has been generated in developing more efficient heat exchangers of the type in which a thermally-conductive liquid is pumped through pipes submerged beneath a liquid to be cooled or heated in a fluid-containing vessel. Convection currents formed around the areas of thermal transfer, in addition to the recirculation of fluid within the containment vessel, may affect the efficient operation of a heat exchange system. The present state of the art is unable to predict the spontaneous upswelling of a heated fluid with any accuracy because of the intricate relations among temperature, viscosity, surface tension and other characteristics of the fluid and the individual containment vessel. In order to know more about convection and other currents within a contained fluid, it is necessary to take direct measurements.
Strain gauges have been used for a variety of test set-ups to measure forces on various structural elements. U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,201 discloses a testing method for vehicle axles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,829 discloses an apparatus and method for determining rotational and lineal stiffness between an output shaft and a power input shaft. U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,762 discloses a test set-up to provide a measuring device that will accurately indicate rotational resistance or preload torque in a reloaded ball screw and nut assembly. Other relevant references are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,824,863; 3,664,182; 3,555,894, 3,336,795 and 3,163,037.